Brahea decumbens in south Florida

[virtualpalm]

I have been wondering if anyone else in the south Florida area is growing Brahea decumbens. I have one that I got as a 1-leaf seedling from Kapoho back in 1998. Below is a photo I took a couple days ago. It has a prostrate trunk around 2 feet long and is suckering heavily from the base. It still has not flowered. It is one of my favorite palms. When I was first getting into palms I was told by some of the local enthusiasts not to bother with this species... I sure am glad I didn't listen!

Jody

[Patricia-CR]

It sure looks beautiful!

[Palm crazy]

Outstanding foliage...it's a keeper.

Edited August 20, 2011 by Palm crazy

[oliver]

Looks great! I have several here that grow very well. I think that they realy enjoy the summer heat, although I think for you, it would be best to keep it in a minimally irrigated area. I have had a few die on me, but they were ones I planted in an area of the garden that gets regular water. I think that occasional rainwater (and for me this year is about 1.5" since January)is all they need. I believe I have similar soil pH as you and the same high heat and humidity in the summer. If you want some more, I would be happy to trade you for some Copernicias or Pseudophoenix. I recently bought a few large 3g direct from where they grow. I would also resist the urge to mulch the decumbent trunk thingy. The plants look healthier (and bluer) when the trunk thing looks dried out.

[Al in Kona]

Not in Florida but thought perhaps you might like seeing this Brahea decumbens growing in Kailua-Kona at the Sadie Seymour Botanical Garden. Note the green color of a new sucker beginning to grow while the leaves of the main plant are very glaucous.

[Al in Kona]

. . . and a smaller Brahea decumbens, growing in our garden in up-slope south Kona, Hawaii Island.

[virtualpalm]

Looks great! I have several here that grow very well. I think that they realy enjoy the summer heat, although I think for you, it would be best to keep it in a minimally irrigated area. I have had a few die on me, but they were ones I planted in an area of the garden that gets regular water. I think that occasional rainwater (and for me this year is about 1.5" since January)is all they need. I believe I have similar soil pH as you and the same high heat and humidity in the summer. If you want some more, I would be happy to trade you for some Copernicias or Pseudophoenix. I recently bought a few large 3g direct from where they grow. I would also resist the urge to mulch the decumbent trunk thingy. The plants look healthier (and bluer) when the trunk thing looks dried out.

Thanks, Oliver. I do not have an irrigation system in my yard, so my palms and other plants either survive on rainfall or they don't survive and are replaced. This palm thrives in the hot, humid, wet summer (this one is particularly wet) as well as the cold, dry winter and hot, dry springs that we often have (this year they were both particularly cold/dry and hot/dry, respectively). Our soil pH is around 8.0, and this and most of my plants are growing in raised beds for extra drainage.

As I said in my previous message, the trunk of my palm is prostrate (on top of the ground), and after looking at it again this morning it is probably more like 3 feet long. I also spoke too soon when I said my palm hadn't yet flowered... I noticed just this morning that it has its first inflorescence emerging from within the leaves! Below are a couple more photos that I just took.

Jody

[virtualpalm]

Not in Florida but thought perhaps you might like seeing this Brahea decumbens growing in Kailua-Kona at the Sadie Seymour Botanical Garden. Note the green color of a new sucker beginning to grow while the leaves of the main plant are very glaucous.

Very nice, Al. The suckers on my plant also begin green with the strap leaves and turn glaucous as they get larger and start producing character leaves.

Jody

[JD in the OC]

Jody,

Very nice specimen! And no, Brahea usually don't grow in our wet, humid climate. I seem to remember that the B. decumbens at the Huntington in Los Angeles does not produce viable seed for some reason...

[MattyB]

The old B. decumbens that Al in Kona planted here in San Diego at his old house has flowered for several years but doesn't produce seed.

[virtualpalm]

I'll make sure to let y'all know if mine does or does not set seed on this inflorescence.

Last year about this time my trunkless Attalea cohune flowered for the first time, producing both male and female inflorescences at the same time and resulting in three full-sized seed. About a week ago I potted up the first seedling from those seed. A few weeks ago this same palm flowered again, but this time the female infl. emerged a couple weeks before the male and so no seeds were produced this year. Seeing the male and female infl. together on the same palm was a first for me, as was seeing this species flower so small. (Sorry if I hijacked my own thread...)

Jody

[Eric in Orlando]

Wow, that is a nice specimen. Good to see it growing well in SoFL. We have a couple small ones growing here but still greenish colored. They have been slow so far.

[Eric in Orlando]

I'll make sure to let y'all know if mine does or does not set seed on this inflorescence.

Last year about this time my trunkless Attalea cohune flowered for the first time, producing both male and female inflorescences at the same time and resulting in three full-sized seed. About a week ago I potted up the first seedling from those seed. A few weeks ago this same palm flowered again, but this time the female infl. emerged a couple weeks before the male and so no seeds were produced this year. Seeing the male and female infl. together on the same palm was a first for me, as was seeing this species flower so small. (Sorry if I hijacked my own thread...)

Jody

Thats cool to hear your Attalea cohune flowered as a trunkless specimen. We used to have a great specimen. It was planted out in 1973 and was still trunkless but had 15-20ft leaves. It had flowered several times in the last 10 years but never set seed. Unfortuneately a couple years ago a tree nearby has hit by lightning and it killed this palm. Strange way that it died. In the weeks after the llightning strike, the center/newest leaves browned out and died. Several of the outer leaves remained green and the last leaf finally died a few weeks ago, more than 2 years after the lightning. This palm is featured on the front cover of the current CFPACS journal.

[Mandrew968]

Jody, I thought that was a Brahea! There are a couple around--one on Franjo(I think a different species)and Fairchild has some too. I was gonna caution that most palms don't set seed on their first inflorescence, but your Attalea has proved me wrong--very cool. Still need to come by and take you up on that tour...

[tank]

I'll make sure to let y'all know if mine does or does not set seed on this inflorescence.

Last year about this time my trunkless Attalea cohune flowered for the first time, producing both male and female inflorescences at the same time and resulting in three full-sized seed. About a week ago I potted up the first seedling from those seed. A few weeks ago this same palm flowered again, but this time the female infl. emerged a couple weeks before the male and so no seeds were produced this year. Seeing the male and female infl. together on the same palm was a first for me, as was seeing this species flower so small. (Sorry if I hijacked my own thread...)

Jody

Jody,

Did it set seed?

I've had one planted out here in N. Florida for the past two years and seems to be doing well.

[virtualpalm]

Actually, it seems as though none of the flowers opened up... but then again I don't really know what to look for on this species. So far no sign of seeds.

Jody

[Kris]

Beautiful visuals of a beautiful brahea

love,

kris.

[palmazon]

I sent some seedlings to Merrill Wilcox about 5 years ago, but he's further north

[MattyB]

Anyone else have seedlings supposedly of D. decumbens that are not turning blue, but staying green? I have a bunch of blue ones so I know at what point they should start showing blue.

[Joe palma]

Anyone else have seedlings supposedly of D. decumbens that are not turning blue, but staying green? I have a bunch of blue ones so I know at what point they should start showing blue.

And at what point is that Matty??

The seedling I got from you is still green and some good sized 5g ones that I have from another grower are all green still.

[amazon exotics]

We have a Brahea growing (in ground) here at our nursery in Ft Myers. It's doing quite well and is nice and silver. Not sure of the variety though. Maybe JD can post a pic and chine in about variety.

[MattyB]

Anyone else have seedlings supposedly of D. decumbens that are not turning blue, but staying green? I have a bunch of blue ones so I know at what point they should start showing blue.

And at what point is that Matty??

The seedling I got from you is still green and some good sized 5g ones that I have from another grower are all green still.

That's great news that the one you got from me is still alive. I didn't have much luck with them in the pots. All the ones I planted in the ground are thriving! Yours will definitely be blue because all of mine from that batch are about 1.5 years into turning blue and looking really nice. I'd say that when the stem gets to be about 1.5" diameter and you can start to see it creeping sideways, and the leaves are about 12" long, that's when they should start to turn blue. So about 3 years from a liner. Keep in mind that mine have been in the ground the whole time though, so I'm not sure what they'll do in a pot.